Server Management

Starting the Server

Development

mix deps.get
mix run --no-halt

Production with a Release

# Build a release
MIX_ENV=prod mix release

# Start in the background
_build/prod/rel/elixircd/bin/elixircd daemon

# Stop
_build/prod/rel/elixircd/bin/elixircd stop

# Attach to a running node
_build/prod/rel/elixircd/bin/elixircd remote

With Docker

docker run -d \
  -p 6667:6667 \
  -p 6697:6697 \
  -v /etc/elixircd:/app/config \
  elixircd/elixircd:latest

Configuration File

The primary configuration file is config/elixircd.exs (or wherever RELEASE_COOKIE/MIX_ENV points). After editing, reload with:

/rehash

REHASH re-reads the configuration file and applies changes to:

Server name/description/MOTD
Operator credentials
Rate limiting settings
Cloaking settings
WebIRC entries

MOTD Management

The Message of the Day is stored in a file referenced by the config:

config :elixircd, :server,
  motd_file: "/etc/elixircd/motd.txt"

Edit the file and run /rehash to update the MOTD. Connected users see the new MOTD on their next /motd request or reconnect.

Operator Credential Rotation

To update an operator password:

Generate a new Argon2id hash:
```
Argon2.hash_pwd_salt("newpassword")
```
Update the password field in the oper config
Run /rehash

The old credentials are immediately invalidated. Active operator sessions keep their status until they de-oper or disconnect.

Managing TLS Certificates

When certificates are renewed:

Replace certificate and key files at the configured paths
Restart the server (TLS listener changes require restart)

For Let’s Encrypt with auto-renewal, add a deploy hook:

#!/bin/bash
systemctl restart elixircd

Systemd Service

Example systemd unit for production:

[Unit]
Description=ElixIRCd IRC Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
User=elixircd
Group=elixircd
WorkingDirectory=/opt/elixircd
ExecStart=/opt/elixircd/bin/elixircd daemon
ExecStop=/opt/elixircd/bin/elixircd stop
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5s
LimitNOFILE=65536

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start:

sudo systemctl enable elixircd
sudo systemctl start elixircd

Log Files

ElixIRCd writes logs via Elixir’s Logger. Default output is stdout/stderr captured by systemd or the release logger.

Configure log level in config/runtime.exs or environment:

config :logger, level: :info

Available levels: :debug, :info, :warning, :error

Backup and Persistence

ElixIRCd uses Mnesia (via Memento) for persistent data storage:

Registered nicknames and accounts
Registered channels and their settings
Access lists, suspend records

Mnesia stores data in the directory specified by MNESIA_BASE or the application’s data directory. To back up:

# Stop the server first, or use Mnesia's online backup
cp -r /var/lib/elixircd/Mnesia.elixircd@hostname /backup/

Or from an IEx session:

:mnesia.backup('/backup/elixircd-backup')

Upgrading

Pull new code or download new release
Review the changelog for breaking configuration changes
Run mix deps.get && mix compile (or rebuild the release)
Restart the server

For zero-downtime upgrades in OTP hot-upgrade scenarios, consult the Elixir/OTP release documentation.

Checking Server Status

From an IRC operator perspective:

/stats u      # Uptime and connection count
/lusers       # User/channel/server counts
/version      # Server version and build info
/admin        # Admin contact info

From the system:

# Check if the port is listening
ss -tlnp | grep 6697

# Check the process
ps aux | grep elixircd

# Check memory usage
_build/prod/rel/elixircd/bin/elixircd remote
# Then in IEx:
:erlang.memory()